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Despite attacks, France still top tourist destination

Fri, Feb 10, 2017 - 10:38 PM

France attracted between 82.5 million and 83 million foreign visitors last year, maintaining its rank as the world's top tourist destination despite a series of jihadist attacks, its foreign minister said Friday.

PHOTO: AFP

[BIARRITZ, FRANCE] France attracted between 82.5 million and 83 million foreign visitors last year, maintaining its rank as the world's top tourist destination despite a series of jihadist attacks, its foreign minister said Friday.

The figure fell short of the record 85 million who visited in 2015, and Jean-Marc Ayrault warned that "a great deal of work remains to be done to ensure France remains a global destination." "France has suffered as a destination," Mr Ayrault told a press conference in Biarritz, the southwestern surfing and casino hub.

"2016 was an exceptional year, with attacks, storms and strikes," Mr Ayrault added.

"There was a definite impact, especially on Japanese tourists." Three years ago, French tourism chiefs set a target of attracting 100 million visitors a year to the country by 2020.

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But France has been repeatedly targeted by jihadists since the January 2015 massacre at the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly in Paris, Tourist numbers in Paris have especially declined since it was targeted in November 2015 when 130 people were killed by gunmen and suicide bombers from the Islamic State group.